Wynyard - North Coast Bass Strait Islands St. Helens
Bicheno Tasman Peninsula
Divers heading for Hobart for a dive holiday have a wide variety of scuba diving sites to choose from. The winter shore dives have clear water and with a wealth of easy entry sites make it ideal for snorkelers and underwater photographers.
During summer the water greens up a litle, but this is compensated by the rich habitats, kelp beds, pretty rocky reefs, and rich soft-bottom environments in the estuaries and a large varitey of marine life present.
Charter boat trips take scuba divers, snorkelers and underwater photographrs to kelp forests, sponge gardens and a number of intact vessels on an artificial reef. In fact, there is great variety along this southern-most of Australian shores.
Several dive shops service the area, offer boat dives and advise on the best shore diving. Although the visibility can sometimes be a little restricted inshore, calm and sheltered dive sites can always be found, no matter what the conditions.
No matter where one dives along the coasts of southern Australia its always a thrill to come upon a Weedy Sea Dragon Phyllopteryx taenolatus. The Tasmanian forms are so colourfull and those that inhabit the Giant kelp forests make such fantastic subjects. ( photo : Neville Coleman)
Often seen on silty bottom in bays, channels and estuaries, the Magnificent Biscuit Star Tosia magnifica grows to 90 mm and has from 8 to 20 plates along each of the body margins. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Tinderbox
A wide variety of dive sites are found around the Tinderbox. A wonderful array of creatures can be found just off the boat ramp by day or night. Over and on the sea grass beds there are bound to be cuttlefish, nudibranchs, sea stars, octopi, handfish, stingarees, numbrays, hermit crabs, molluscs, sea hares, leatherjackets, cowfish, wrasse, sea perch, goatfish, boxfish and perhaps a skate or stargazer.
This was first image of a living Spotted Handfish Brachionichthys hirsutus published in natural habitat. Photographed in 1976 on a typical 'muck dive' in the scallop beds. This species is now considered endangered due to the introduced Japanese Sea Star feeding on its eggs. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Piersons Point
Thick kelp forests are an interesting feature off Piersons Point, in depths to 15 m. The rocky bottom and swaying forest of kelp provide homes for diverse range of fauna. Rock lobsters hide under ledges with abalone, boarfish, conger eels, bearded rock cod and cardinalfish. Around the kelp swim leatherjackets, morwong, wrasse, perch, and occasional rarer animals like handfish and red velvetfish.
A very attractive colour form of the common White - lined Sea Anemone Anthothoe albocincta the tentacles are a shade of green, which compliments the orange mouth area. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Seen out in the open during the day, the Chrysanthemum Neodoris Neodoris chrysoderma feeds on sponges and grows to 20 mm. It ranges from New South Wales to south Western Australia. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Bligh Point
The water around Bligh Point is only 8 m deep, but the rocky reef supports plenty of marine life kelp, sponges, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, sea stars, leatherjackets, octopi, goatfish, cowfish, pipefish, toadfish, flounder, gobies, wrasse, morwong and boarfish. There are also a number of small caves and swim-throughs here, so take a flashlight to highlight the many colourful sponges and hidden creatures.
Diving the Giant Kelp Forests Macrocystus pyrifera always gave me a sense of inspired awareness, never knowing what was beyond. These giant plants grow to over 25 metes, an awesome experience.
Cape De La Sortie
The rocky reef at Cape De La Sortie provides a good anchor for a dense kelp forest, found in depths to 12 m, where divers will find plenty of excitement swimming among the kelp. Look for the reef fish, rock lobsters, abalone, handfish, cowfish and draughtboard sharks that reside here.
Yellow Bluff
The rocky reefs that drop into 25 m around Yellow Bluff are similar to many dive sites off Bruny Island. Numerous large boulders are jumbled together on the bottom to form caves, gutters and swim-throughs. Beautiful sponge gardens with nudibranchs, scorpionfish, sea stars, basket stars, cowfish, gobies and the elusive spiny pipehorse (an animal that looks like a cross between a pipefish and a sea dragon) are found around these reefs. Boarfish, sweep, butterfly perch, banded morwong and a variety of leatherjackets species are common.
Seen on the shady sides of reefs, in caves and on almost every wreck, the jewel Corallimorph Corynactis australis has a number of colour variations. However, it appears that pink is the most common. These beautiful litttel cnidarians were once thought to be anemones.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Top Slip Point
Brilliant sponge gardens cover the rocky reef off Top Slip Point. The reef drops to a sandy bottom in 25 m, where skates, stingarees, stargazers, Tasmanian numbrays, angel sharks and butterfly gurnard are often seen.
Betsey Island Artificial Reef
Eleven vessels were sunk on this artificial reef in the 1970s and 1980s. The two most interesting ships are the William Callper and Macquarie, which rest in 22 m of water. The wrecks have become an oasis for fish and invertebrates morwong, wrasse, perch, cuttlefish, octopi, nudibranchs, sponges, zoanthids, jewel Corallimorphs and sea stars are common. The wrecks are safe for novice divers to explore as many large holes allow easy penetration of the hulks.
Less commonly seen than its relative the Mosiac Leatherjacket, Gunns Leatherjacket Eubalichthys gunnii is a retiring species which has a very unique pattern and reaches a size of 60 cm.
( photo: Neville Coleman)
Betsey Reef
Located just south of Betsey Island is a small rocky outcrop, surrounded by a boulder reef in depths to 22 m. Betsey Reef is a great spot to find rock lobsters, abalone and reef fish. Watchful divers may also see weedy sea dragons, spiny pipehorses, handfish, draughtboard sharks and sea horses.
Discovered by the author in 1972 this Southern Aphelodoris Aphelodoris sp. is still awaiting description. ( photo: Neville Coleman)
Ninepin Point
Located at the mouth of the Huon River, Ninepin Point is washed by tannin-stained fresh water, which floats on top of the salt water. Once under the ark and murky top layer of water, the sea water is clear underneath. Accessible from the shore, the rocky bottom here varies in depth from 6-10 m, and is covered with interesting varieties of sponges and kelp. Because of the darkness, there are extraordinary numbers of fish and invertebrate species, including many deep-water species. Basket stars, shrimp, brittle stars, sea spiders, morwong, nudibranchs, stingarees, sea stars, pike, leatherjackets, perch, scorpionfish, sea horses, pipefish, rock lobsters, wrasse and beautiful handfish are all common.
Wynyard - North Coast Bass Strait Islands St. Helens
Bicheno Tasman Peninsula
Neville Coleman's diving expeditions, fauna surveys, photographic fauna surveys and marine life identification courses include every major group of marine life.
Neville Coleman's expertise in marine life identification extends to the identification of Algae, Sea Grass, Forams, Sponges, Stony Corals, Soft Corals, Sea Anemones, Sea Jellies, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Black Corals, Flatworms, Segmented Worms, Crustaceans, Barnacles, Shrimps, Rock Lobsters, Hermit Crabs, Squat Lobsters, Molluscs, Chitons, Univalves, Bivalves, Cephalopods, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Squid, Opisthobranchs, Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Bryozoans, Sea Mosses, Echinoderms, Sea Stars, Feather Stars, Brittle Stars, Sea Urchins, Sea Cucumbers, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, Marine Fish, Sharks and Marine Mammals, all found in the waters around Hobart.
( Copyright Neville Coleman/Nigel Marsh)
